


Always Left Wanting More

by MissFiction



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Tony, Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Consensual, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Marvel Universe, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, NSFW, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Verse, Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Superhusbands, alright let's do this thing, only dubious for a little while I promise it gets sorted out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 17:43:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3298580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFiction/pseuds/MissFiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The super-serum leaves Steve with a messy amalgamation of both Omega and Alpha hormones that seem to have some... unforeseen side effects. They cause a misunderstanding that leaves a team at odds, and Tony & Steve will have to work things about between them or risk falling apart before they even get started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Before the serum, Steve was honestly little more than a small man with big ideals. Even he could admit that. He had never felt that he had the right body to do what he wanted to– joining the army had seemed like the most important thing in the world to him in the wake of WWII, but certain rules kept him and people like him out. And even when he finally had the body that felt _right_ for him, he wasn't exactly participating in the effort in the way he had anticipated to.

When he finally made it to the front he had definitely not expected to be a performing national icon. But super-serum-Steve was better than a weak-asthmatic-Steve any day of the week, at least in his book. It wasn't like he wasn't doing at least some good for the sake of the cause. Of course, that reasoning only worked for so long before he decided he had to take things into his own hands. Morale and money were important, but he needed to be doing more, especially when Bucky's battalion went missing. So he did.

Decades later, with the war long over and having been frozen for seventy years, Steve was really only just beginning to notice the real side effects of the changes the serum had made to his body. You see, Steve was born an omega by nature. No huge surprise to anyone there, to be sure. His smaller, weaker body type was exactly the sort that those old films he used to watch depicted as the weaker sex. The one that had to be saved. The one that was by no means considered to even be capable of being the 'hero' type, regardless of whatever previous strengths they had shown. The omega was never the one to save the day, and that was just the way things were. But an unforeseen side effect had occurred when the serum, a concentrated cocktail of alpha genomes that had been strategically injected into his body, altered his physical appearance. It had also impacted his hormone balance.

He had never before been without suitable distraction and near constant physical exercise to keep his libido in check. So when he began to experience the clash of the two types of hormones in his body Steve found himself wrought in a veritable tsunami of alpha instincts that sought to dominate the true omega ones he'd been born with. Naturally– or unnaturally, as the case may be– this all resulted in an... interesting personal turmoil. As an omega he had been a late bloomer in terms of puberty to begin with, and a result he had only experienced three or four regular heat cycles in the past. This left him ill equipped to handle things when they came again warped and intense in his genetically unfamiliar body.

He was slowly learning to deal with it. He took a strong dosage of suppressants that had been developed by S.H.I.E.L.D when they learned of his special circumstances, and he was granted two weeks leave instead of the standard one to preserve his privacy with the Avengers team. Steve generally only took that time as needed for the particularly difficult months. The sort of months where his scent would grow so strong that it impacted even the bonded and mated alphas in his vicinity. There were some months where there was a legitimate concern that the delicate dynamic of the team would be jeopardized by competition, battles for dominance, and sexual interactions among team mates– a major concern especially since they had only recently resolved the majority of the issues that plagued the Avengers team. Steve vowed that he would not be the reason for their problems, so he did anything in his power to preserve the sanctity of the group.

It seemed as though the only issues they hadn't been able to resolve yet lied between him and Tony Stark. The clash of personalities was one thing, but the complete incompatibilityof instincts between the two was quite another. Stark was a very dominant personality type, and even though he smelled alpha on Steve outwardly, he subconsciously seemed to recognize Steve's true nature and wanted to overpower it. That was all well and good, but Steve wanted to keep his omega status a secret. Prejudice seemed to have slowed in contemporary society to some extent but he still feared what might happen when the world discovered the truth. He didn't want to lie to his team, he just let them assume whatever they wanted and neither confirmed nor denied anything either way. For the most part the other Avengers seemed to think he was at least a beta with a high sense of self-righteousness, but perhaps they thought it rude to ask.

The only team member who knew anything about Steve's situation was Natasha. He hadn't really wanted her to know, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the clever assassin got the information she wanted after she decided she wanted it. Especially if you were actively trying to keep that information from her. It was fine since Fury had insisted he confide in someone for the sake of his own mental health anyways. If he was being honest, it _was_ truly nice for him to have someone to talk to about things when things got rough. The redheaded alpha was particularly sympathetic because she faced her own prejudices being a biologically female alpha, and there was practically no tension between them due to the strength of her bond with her own beta.

The secrecy, however, did not sit well with the rest of the team once they found out that Natasha was aware of something they weren't privy to. Thor actively demanded he be told when he sensed something was up, though he backed down at least a little bit when Steve insisted he would share when the time was right. Natasha handled Clint's suspicion easily; she only need raise her eyebrow for him to get the message though it was clear he expected to be informed eventually as well. Bruce was the only one who largely kept to himself, though the way he paid careful attention when conversation was taking place betrayed his quiet interest.

It was Tony in particular who seemed to become increasingly agitated in Steve's presence once he realized there was something being kept from him. He was especially difficult upon walking into a room where Steve and Natasha had either promptly stopped talking or glanced his way and gotten up to leave in order to continue their conversation elsewhere.

One such incident would lead to the culmination of the tension between the two of them.

**oOo**

“What's up, lovebirds?” Tony snapped crassly, eyeing Steve who sat next to Natasha at a stool near the kitchen counter. He found that he was unable to stop himself from bristling when the blond immediately got thin-lipped and quiet.

“Shove it, Stark,” supplemented Natasha helpfully, laying her hand on Steve's.

Steve merely flushed and turned away, murmuring something Tony couldn't quite catch to the redhead.

Natasha was also one of the few people in the world who knew about Steve's ultimate issue with Tony. He believed the hormones that swirled within him were causing a warped sense of attraction towards the other man. Being an omega at heart, he knew that there was always a sort of arousal that could be stimulated by minor things– such as the presence of an alpha who had no mate– but what he felt bordered on ridiculous. Not to mention the added complexity of the new alpha instincts he was trying to deal with– which changed that arousal from simply wanting to spread his legs for the other to the unfamiliar feeling of wanting to fuck Tony senseless himself.

He shook his head quickly. He wouldn't even justify that thought by indulging that fantasy. It was more than that for him anyways. He genuinely liked Tony, but his screwed up hormones just made things too complicated for him to try and comprehend. Besides, Tony always reacted so hostilely to him that it hardly seemed worth it to try.

It's not as though Tony was in want of partners anyway. He could probably have anyone he wanted in five words or less. Steve had seen numerous tabloids and articles that told tales of Iron Man's sexual exploits, old and new. The women he was photographed with were always gorgeous, perfect creatures that looked like they probably bathed in literal gold– and that clearly meant that Steve was _not_ his type. The parade of women Tony had bedded would likely extend down the length of a whole street, and with practically no experience of his own how could the virginal Steve Rogers possibly compare to that?

Sure the number of strange women that had seen roaming around the tower after a night of proverbial 'love-making' had decreased significantly since the team had actually gotten together and moved in, but... actually, Steve realized, he couldn't remember the last time he saw a strange woman leaving in the early hours of the morning.

Steve tuned out the rest of the conversation around him and removed himself from the counter when Nat and Tony fell in to their usual game of all-out banter, using the chance to escape. It was only a matter of time before Tony pulled his usual stunt of flirting openly with the assassin, and with a heat cycle so close to starting he wasn't sure he could handle being in the same room with the openly lewd Stark who would become all leering and thinly veiled sensuality.

Especially since the attention was in no way intended for him.

As he quickly sidled past by the other man and out the door he tried desperately not to shudder or stumble. He'd caught Tony's scent, which momentarily sent him reeling. Tony looked good in his suit. His tie had been loosened and his shirt untucked, but he pulled off the slightly-rumpled-yet-formal look well. Steve couldn't help but imagine pulling him down by the strip of red fabric, the alpha latching his hands in the short hair at the back of his head, and– _no, stop that_.

He trembled when Tony met his eyes briefly and– perhaps in an attempt to hide the shaking in his hands– offered a short two-fingered salute from his brow on the way by. Tony, who had still been speaking to Natasha, stopped mid-sentence in confusion. He fumbled for a response to the absurdly random gesture.

As Steve made it safely by and out the door, he berated himself.

What the fuck. Was that supposed to be casual?! He was better off just locking himself in his room and never coming out again. In fact if he was honest with himself, the less time he had to spend with the other man the better off they'd both be.

**oOo**

Once the tall blond was gone, Tony recovered and found his voice again. While his previous line of thought and sentence were completely forgotten, he looked back up at the redheaded female and performed a mock salute towards her in the same manner the Captain just had to him. Perhaps to try and cover for his disconnect. Steve's scent on his way by had caught him off guard– it was certainly alpha as far as he could tell but there was something not quite right about it. Still, he found that he wanted to drown himself in that scent regardless. It made his mouth water, even as an alpha himself. To his surprise Natasha stifled a small smile.

“He's not very good at secrets,” Nat sighed vaguely.

“Ah-hah!” Tony moved toward the opposite side of the counter and leaned against it. He was close to her but far enough that she wouldn't consider him invading her space and physically remove him from it. “So, you admit you're keeping secrets then?”

“I never denied it.” Her face was impassive.

“Touché. Look, Capsicle looks like he has something he wants to say and he _won't_ talk to me. Trust me, I've tried. I'm just saying it would be easier for everyone if he would just get it over with already. So you should just tell him to spill. What kind of problems could _Captain America_ have that he can't just share with the class?”

“It'd be easier for _you_ if he'd tell. But trust me, it's not that simple,” she snorted. “Steve will let everyone know when he feels like the time is right. I know that's damaging to your fragile ego, not being in the loop on something for once, but that's just the way things have to be right now.” She patted his cheek hard, no doubt playfully mocking him, but he was too frustrated to come back with a biting remark in return. Ultimately he knew she was right and it pissed him off. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have some actual work to do.”

She walked out the same door Steve had awkwardly excused himself out of moments before without another word. Though she did give him the goofy little salute. She slipped a small disposable phone out of her pocket and dialed before she turned the corner and was out of sight.

Once alone, Tony grumbled to himself and raked a hand absently through his hair. The blond had been avoiding him since they all started to stay together in his building. Steve was distinctly careful not to be alone with Tony, he was always quiet when Tony was in the room, and if he _did_ speak he was always cautious and calculating in everything he said. This was infuriating because he'd honestly thought that he and the Cap had been on better terms since they had worked together, saved the world, and sent Thor and Loki back to Asgard... Apparently he was the only one who felt that way if the other's distant attitude was anything to go by. Sure he'd been a bit of an ass and things had been rough between them at first, but alphas almost never played nice together initially. That was just a fact of life. He was willing to move past it, so why was Steve still hanging on to a grudge?

After the imminent danger was over with, Captain America and Iron Man having worked together to restart engines and then fought back to back, he'd felt something for the other man. He couldn't quite put a name to that something at the time, but having Steve working daily in close quarters (and practically _demanding_ his full attention by dutifully avoiding him) showed him that it was a sort of attraction. It was only a matter of time before that attraction turned into something even deeper. He was aware that Steve had his own hang-ups and some skeletons hidden deep in his closet but hey– so did Tony. Life had not exactly been the easiest for either of them.

He briefly entertained the idea that perhaps that was what caused his initial attraction to Steve in the first place. They could understand each other on a level that Tony hadn't been able to find in many other people. From there was Steve's kindness, determination, and his ability to take and dish back anything Tony threw his way. It all appealed to him. Before Steve, Tony had never felt like committing to a mate was for him. But he could see the potential for a future with Steve, or at least he had before Cap had inexplicably shut him out.

The worst part of it was he wasn't even sure what caused Steve to pull away. It wasn't like Steve could have sensed his growing attraction to him. Tony was the king of suppressing his emotions so that others couldn't use them to manipulate him. Plus the super soldier had not pulled away from anyone else. _Natasha_ was apparently his favourite and _she_ was an alpha so it didn't make sense for that to be the only reason either.

His hands ached and his skin itched as he got annoyed over his situation again.

He pushed away from the kitchen counter and moved towards his workshop. As he grew more irritated he needed something to occupy his hands. Some time alone might do him some good anyways, Pepper had had him out on business all day and he was decidedly sick of corporation. The ol' suit probably needed a little tuning up since its last use anyways.

He stripped down to his undershirt, leaving his coat, dress shirt, and tie crumpled on the desk nearest the door and set to work. JARVIS immediately began to spout updates one by one, but it was a matter of seconds before Tony muted the sound. As he tinkered he tried to keep his mind from drifting to the blond, to those blue eyes that saw right through him, to the muscled body he longed to have over him or under him or... anywhere in the vicinity of him, really.

So he failed at keeping Steve out of his thoughts. Of course he did. But there was something to be said for trying, wasn't there?

Before long he had subsequently failed to realign a loose wire correctly three times in a row. A task that should have taken him literally no thought and no more than fifteen seconds flat. This was getting ridiculous. He decided then that he was going to have to do something about... all of this. Steve couldn't avoid him forever, not without at least telling Tony the reason why. Not when Tony could still feel the weight of this _thing_ between them, not when there was still a chance that Steve could be feeling it too. Tony was used to giving up on things he wanted but perceived he couldn't have without an honest fight, but this wasn't going to be one of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so we're clear, this is sort of a slow burn fic. I'm going to post it in several chunks but no matter how long it takes me to get them up I promise you this work will not be abandoned. Most likely new chapters will be out when I finish editing them.
> 
> Please note the rating, this is an 18+ fic, sexual content is intended. Pretty tame for now, but don't worry. We'll get there.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always very encouraging, if you feel like I've done a good job. I crave that sweet, sweet validation... and I love to hear from you guys. <3


	2. Chapter 2

As fate would have it, it turned out shortly after Tony made his resolution that Steve was called out on a mission. He would probably be gone for a little over a week.

The fit he threw upon hearing the news wasn't exactly minor but no one seemed to bat an eye about it. For his part, Tony wasn't sure if he was more angry about the fact that he would probably lose his nerve by the time Steve got back or the fact that he wasn't going to get to see the other man for an extended period of time.

His alpha instincts made him antsy as he considered the fact that Steve could be in danger and he'd have no idea and would be unable to protect him. He was also worried that Steve could potentially find an omega of his own, bed them, and come back mated. Though he he refused to acknowledge that _that_ was a real feeling he was having. Honestly, that seemed a little far fetched, but how could he argue with his instincts when they demanded he assert himself over what they seemed to feel was meant to be his?

**oOo**

Sure enough, almost _two_ weeks went by. Two weeks without a single word from the super soldier. Tony thought it odd, Steve was usually very good about checking in with the team once every few days at least. Perhaps the mission required a greater amount of stealth than usual, there was no way to tell. S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn't tell him anything. In any case, by the time Steve had returned Tony's resolve had wavered. He said nothing of value when the exhausted blond strolled back in, covered in some sort of grime and looking like hell..

Tony observed him from the couch of the common room. He watched the way the blond limped just a little, favouring his left leg, and swept his gaze over the whole of him in search of any other serious injury. Or maybe bite marks, whatever. Satisfied when he saw nothing he settled back, visibly relaxing.

He wouldn't admit it but his heart did race a little over the way Steve looked like pure sex in the torn Captain America suit he wore, the way his hair hung into his eyes. He couldn't stop the pleased little purring rumble in his throat.

It was then that the blond caught sight of him sitting in the corner and froze. Did Tony just _growl_ at him? He turned around quickly to use the long hallway instead of crossing the common room floor for fear of disturbing Tony further.

“Hey, Spangles. Welcome back.” Tony said abruptly. Steve faltered briefly before offering a smile and nodding in acknowledgement with a polite 'thank you.' He hesitated and then decided it would be rude to turn and leave now, so he crossed the floor.

When he passed by, distinctly avoiding eye contact and moving quickly so Tony couldn't stop him again, Tony caught a whiff of the pheromones on him. His entire body immediately went rigid. It was something unfamiliar though somehow rustic, a scent he'd never detected on Steve before. Something distinctly omega but subtle. Like the pheromones of an omega at the tail end of their heat. Before he could stop himself Tony had caught Steve by the arm and held him in a bruising grip so he couldn't shake him off too easily.

“Have a good time?” he snapped, crowding into his space.

Steve stepped back, obviously confused. He glanced down at Tony's hand and then back up into his eyes as his back collided with the wall. Steve's hand landed on top of his and pushed it away just enough to be able to step out of his grasp along the wall. Tony followed step for step.

“W-wha? N-no, not really? It was work, I–”

“ _Hard_ work, huh? Yeah, I guess it's a _long, hard_ day when you're _pounding_ –”

“ _Tony!_ ” Steve gasped, scandalized.

“– _the pavement_ . Don't give me the good little Church-boy routine, Rogers. Who'd you meet up with? Where'd you go? What's their name, Steve, you might as well just tell me. I can smell you, you know. You reek of _dirty_ omega _slut,_ so you couldn't have been working _too_ hard.”

With every question he snarled Tony found himself closer in Steve's space, backing the latter along the wall and approaching a corner. Steve's face turned bright red but his eyes never stopped moving. Tony could see him mapping escape routes over his shoulder.

“I wasn't with anyone. What the hell is this all about, Stark?”

Despite himself, Tony found himself inclined to believe him. But there were distinct pheromones in the air and how could his nose deceive him? Steve's voice had all the conviction in the world but the look on his face said he had something to hide. He rolled his shoulders, forced himself to step back, and let the Captain go.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he breathed. “You know what, fine. Nevermind. Just get out.”

He wasn't expecting Steve to grab him by the collar. “Oh, no you don't! You can't expect me to just let all of _that_ go? What the hell is _the matter_ with you?”

“ _Great_ , so _now_ you want to talk to me, is that it!? What's the matter with _me_ ? _YOU_ !” Tony cringed at how hurt he sounded to his own ears but it was already coming out. He was shouting in Steve's face. It was utterly beyond his control. Steve's blue, _blue_ eyes and wide blown pupils stared into him but all it did was cause a stabbing ache in his chest that reverberated through the rest of his body. Tony's hands went numb. His skin burned. “Isn't that great, just fantastic, that I'm suddenly worth your time again? Why don't you just tell me, then, why the hell did you just stop talking to me? I can't figure it out, what the hell did I _do_ to you, what the fuck do you _want_ from me, Steve!?”

“ _What_?” Steve was so confused. It was written all over his face. Tony couldn't blame him, he supposed. But those pheromones hung in the air between them and every time he breathed in he wished his lungs would collapse.

“I gave you the space, I guess, because I thought you wanted it. Because what the hell _else_ could I do? Figured you'd sort out _whatever_ and then we could– And now you've– _Fuck!_ ”

Tony quickly recovered himself. He slipped back into that impenetrable mask and backtracked rapidly. This was so, so stupid. He couldn't believe he thought this could have gone any other way. Steve searched his eyes, but it hurt. He needed an out.

“Nevermind,” he snarled decidedly. “I can't fucking stand you. Get your hands off me, let _go_. Before I get the suit, I swear to God, Steve– Maybe you should save everyone the trouble and _just fucking leave_.”

He wasn't sure what he did expect, but Tony did _not_ expect Steve's mouth to snap shut at that. He did not expect Steve's jaw to tighten or for his eyes to get so red. He did not expect it when Steve practically threw him away by the collar, as if he'd been physically burned by touching him. He did not expect it when Steve murmured a quiet apology before leaving, followed by the resounding slam of a door somewhere down the hallway. He did not expect how badly it felt to push the former soldier away. It wasn't as though he hadn't done it with countless other people before.

Tony suddenly felt sick to his stomach. His knees felt as though they were going to collapse under his own weight. Suddenly he was seated on the couch again, his chest practically on fire. He craved a drink. The silence was deafening, his head throbbed. He jumped when the other door to the room opened.

Natasha and Clint peered around the doorway looking for the source of the dispute. The redheaded alpha and the sharpshooting beta had evidently heard the whole thing, or at least a great deal of it. The cautious looks on their faces were indicative of that fact without doubt.

Nat approached Tony slowly and laid her hand on his shoulder, motioning for Clint to shut the common room door behind them. Tony's hands itched painfully but he didn't want to touch anything with them. He wanted Natasha's warm hand off of him, too, but he couldn't find the words. His mouth tasted of bile. Natasha didn't move or say anything, and neither did he. What could he say?

The thought of Steve with someone else, someone else's scent sticking to Steve's body, had completely set him off. Confronting Steve wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to result in a mutual understanding that could potentially lead to the culmination of a healthy relationship between the two, clashing alpha instincts be damned. He wanted to be gentle with Steve, to tell Steve he loved him and _for the love of whatever deity was out there_ he wanted Steve to love him back.But this time he couldn't even blame his genealogy for his problems, he fucked this one up all on his own.

**oOo**

Steve had made a full escape and managed to put two sets of doors between them before he felt himself let go of his tight facade and sob loudly just once before putting a cap on it. Well, at least he finally had an answer for why Tony always seemed so agitated when he was around. Apparently he just _fucking hated him_ – great. Half of what the brunet had said hadn't even made any sense, but that didn't change the final message.

_'Just fucking leave.'_

Steve's arm burned where Tony had touched him. His skin crawled, his heart pounded, from having a dominating alpha-type get so close into his space so soon after a heat cycle.

He had taken a week off to _take care of himself_ to avoid something like this happening but he had evidently come back too early if Tony could still smell the remnants of his heat on him. His heart hurt, knowing now for certain that Tony thought the mutated pheromones on him were disgusting.

Anger, confusion, and self-loathing swirled in his chest until he could barely breathe any longer. “God _damnit_...!” Steve cried, slamming a fist against the wall. The plaster shattered under the force of the impact.

He stared at the cracks under his fist for a moment, horrified by what he'd done before the feeling drained out of him and his other fist launched to land just above the first.

At this point, honestly, who cared? Tony already hated him anyways.

He went back to his room and changed out of the torn suit he had put on as a part of the 'mission deception.' He took in the furniture. Most of it belonged to Tony. It was nice furniture with a vaguely forties style. Most of them were expensive solid oak near-antiques that had been purchased for the sole purpose making him feel more comfortable in a building that was largely technological. Steve didn't know for sure whether or not that was Tony's doing or Pepper's, but he had been deeply touched by the effort they'd put forward. Now, though, he was concerned it had been a huge burden to put together. The thought made him sick. Stark had truly done everything for him, and he'd had the nerve to want more. To want Tony himself. He had entertained feelings he'd had no right to feel, and it turned out that Tony had felt the complete opposite anyways. Served him right.

The furniture all belonged to Tony, but most of the clothing in the wardrobes was his. He grabbed anything that belonged to him and stuffed it inside a bag he'd used for travel that he left under the bed. He was fairly certain it was Tony's too, but he could always send it back when he found an apartment. S.H.I.E.L.D might agree to put him up for a while if he could get in direct contact with Fury.

Everything he needed fit easily into the one bag, even without being folded neatly. Especially since he'd decided to leave behind everything Stark had purchased directly for him and anything he knew he could do without. He had some sketchbooks and art supplies that he had accumulated over the past few months, but he would get the rest of that stuff later. It was too much to carry out for now.

He thought about leaving a note, but decided that ultimately was too much of an ex-lover cliche. He would just leave quietly, like Tony said he wanted him to. His eyes stung painfully as he lifted the whole bag so he wouldn't make any noise by dragging the wheels along behind him. He wanted to make his escape without running into anyone else.

Steve took the long hallway around the common room for fear of the genius still being there. Somehow he still ended up running into Natasha.

He didn't know why he thought he could get away with leaving without a word.

“You know Stark didn't mean any of that,” she said, keeping up with his fast paced stride. He tried not to be annoyed. She could catch up with him, but she couldn't make him stop.

“No ma'am, I don't know that. He sounded pretty serious to me and that's just fine. I can handle living alone, I did it before.”

The look she gave him was withering. He purposefully avoided eye contact. He wasn't sure how he would handle it if he had to look at her glare head-on. He silently jammed his thumb into the elevator button when they came to it. “Steve, stop it. The two of you are just ridiculous! If you just told him– don't give me that look! If you just _told him the truth_ that argument wouldn't have even happened. Don't you understand what happened in there? He's–”

“No. No, _no_ . I definitely can't tell him now. He smelled me and was _actually_ disgusted by me, by these fucked up genes I have. He called me a _slut_ , Nat. He hates me.”

 _"Steve,_ please shut up for just a second. I'm trying to tell youthat's not what he meant!”

“It sure sounded like he meant it to me!” he snapped. “Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do but it's not like you'll never see me again, Nat. I'll contact you when I know where I'll be, okay?” Steve kissed her cheek and ignored her protests as he slipped inside the elevator. It closed, finally separating them.

Steve immediately collapsed to his knees after being hit full-force by a wave of exhaustion.

How the hell did things end up this way?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are so sweet, honestly. I'm so glad you guys liked the first part so much! We've got the plot (lol) moving a little bit this chapter. If you've got a minute or two I'd appreciate it if you could please keep leaving comments or kudos, if you think I've done a good job. 
> 
> I've got the full story (and a little bonus) all written out now, but I think I'm going to update on a weekly basis. So look for new bits on Thursdays! Thanks again, and happy reading! <3


	3. Chapter 3

After Steve had left the assassin had gone to inform Tony that he was gone, since he had muted JARVIS' voice and wouldn't have heard for a while otherwise.

Tony had immediately run to Steve's bedroom, confused when he saw the closets still filled with a significant amount of clothing and the majority of his sketchbooks still on the desk. He realized the room hadn't actually contained that many signs of being inhabited by the soldier in the first place, but it seemed like the room was still pretty full for having apparently just been abandoned?

It didn't take him long to realize that the blond had essentially just left behind everything Tony had ever bought him. He felt sick at the thought. The door slammed shut behind him.

Steve didn't have anyone left; the Avengers were the closest thing he knew to a family. Essentially everyone he'd ever known was gone. Tony knew that. He had watched Steve adjust to contemporary life, helped the team teach him all sorts of things vital to surviving in the modern world, seen the way Steve interacted with the other members like he was just happy to be around. And Tony had essentially stolen all that away and just kicked him out into a world the other barely recognized.

Because he was a glutton for punishment, he unmuted JARVIS and had him play the footage of Steve leaving over and over. He watched the way Steve peered down every hallway, the redness in his eyes as he spoke to Natasha, the way he sat on his haunches in the elevator with broad shoulders shaking. When the doors opened and he walked out without another word to anyone.

It all hurt to watch, and yet he replayed the same several minutes over and over again. There was no sound, but his mind helpfully(?) supplied a steady stream of what he could have been saying to Natasha as he stormed out. That pain in Steve's face had been his fault. He had done that, and he didn't even have the guts to chase him down. So at the very least he would hurt himself over and over to feel just a fraction of what he imagined he'd done to Steve.

The guilt eventually became too much. The Avengers were Steve's family. He would suck it up, apologize, and deal with whatever omega lover the blond had taken because he had no right to anything more. His actions had certainly proved that he wasn't deserving of Steve anyways. He went out that night and roamed the neighbourhood for several hours. He had hoped Steve had just gone to a nearby diner to cool off for a while, but he was nowhere to be found and he wouldn't answer his phone.

Tony didn't come back until the wee hours of the morning.

**oOo**

In the end, Tony hadn't been able to find Steve. But it wasn't long, a few days at most, before the super soldier called Natasha and informed her of his living situation. She wouldn't say where he was, just that he was safe and well. It put Tony in a foul mood. In fact, Steve had been gone for just under a month before anyone could even say his name with Stark in the room.

It was Clint who found out the hard way after asking Natasha how the super soldier was when she came back from his apartment one time, while Tony was finishing his dinner alone at the table. The alpha had whirled on the two of them and shouted until he was practically blue in the face, using anything he could to try and pick a fight. Neither took offence or seemed to take him seriously. They both stared blankly at him until he was quiet again.

“He's fine,” Nat said shortly, pointedly staring at Tony. Clint mumbled an awkward “Great,” and then the room was quiet again.

Tony had been a nightmare to live with since what they all quietly called _The Incident_ with Steve. He rarely went outdoors if he could help it. Business was always conducted via Skype call and only after Pepper physically forced him to sit in one place long enough to conduct one. He had to be forced out of his lab to eat something of substance. As far as they collectively could tell he was only sleeping when the exhaustion got to be too much and knocked him out though no one was sure since he just slept down in the lab anyways. He wouldn't even playfully flirt with the staff anymore.

The dark bags under his eyes seemed to only grow darker as he found that he couldn't apologize to Steve. Though, not for lack of trying. He had tried to phone at least a few times, but there was never any answer. He tried to pry the address from Natasha on numerous occasions, but she wouldn't give it up. She said Steve had begged her not to, and she had to respect his privacy. Steve would come around, she said, and Tony would just have to be patient.

Of course, patient was the last thing Tony _wanted_ to be. Because he was an idiot, as Natasha, Bruce, Clint or even Thor would put it, but for Tony it was just because he couldn't bear the guilt any longer. After the horrible things he had said to the soldier, how could he possibly sleep well? How could he try to earn Steve's forgiveness after going off on him like that if he couldn't even make contact with him? For the second time in his life he was genuinely ashamed of himself and he desperately wanted to make things right.

One afternoon the team sat together in a large room surrounded by open windows that allowed yellow light to flood every corner of the room. Yet the atmosphere in the meeting remained heavy and unbearable while they all waited at a round table for the agent who replaced Coulson to come back and brief them. Tony said nothing as the group chattered softly amongst themselves. Steve hadn't arrived yet, but everyone sat on edge waiting for him. They worried over how he and Tony might interact with one another. It would be the first time they'd seen each other in over a month's time.

Only Steve didn't get there. He didn't show up at all. The agent came back and refused to give a reason, but Tony couldn't help but picture Steve making sad, patriotic eyes at the agent so he wouldn't have to come and could be briefed ahead of time in private. The whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth. The agent protested when he stood abruptly and shoved his chair back in, but no one on his team batted an eye when left.

He had had enough of this, he needed to apologize. Steve could decide what happened from there, but he needed to tell Steve the truth.

Once out on the street, Tony dialed the familiar number into his phone and listened to it ring. He listened to Steve's voicemail through, relishing in the way the blond stumbled slightly through the use of the technology. He could hear himself laughing jovially in the background, cracking a joke that he remembered had _actually_ made Steve smile, with teeth and everything! In fact he could actually hear Steve trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. Steve politely informed his caller that he would call them back as soon as possible and then asked Tony how to turn it off before the sound cut out.

One of their better moments, right after Tony had just gotten him the phone and convinced him to actually use it. Steve used to bring it everywhere, for safety reasons he insisted, but it still made Tony happy that Steve found legitimate use for something that he had given him. And now after their fight it had taken two weeks of insisting Steve take the phone for Natasha to get him to agree to carry it on him at all.

There was a beep signifying the beginning of the message. “Steve. Pick up or I'm coming down there right now. I got your address from Nat, she said enough is enough.” A lie, but his tone made it a convincing one. He figured Steve wouldn't speak to him without the proper motivation. “You've got one more chance, I'll call again in ten.”

He walked aimlessly down a random street and peered into shop windows while waiting for the time to pass. His gut churned, but if Steve was willing to avoid meetings now just so he wouldn't have to see him at all, something definitely needed to be done. Tony couldn't think of a single thing Spangles was more serious about than the superhero gig. He passed his hand over his face tiredly; he was starting to feel sappy.

Tony was shocked when his phone buzzed in his hand. It had only been three or four minutes. Steve's picture and Caller ID popped up on the little screen. A candid shot while the man had been sketching and happened a glance in Tony's direction while his camera was up. He felt his heart pound painfully in his chest.

“Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit!” he yelped. Strangers passing him by gave him looks of disapproval as he cursed in the middle of the sidewalk, before he stepped into the front end of an alleyway so he could talk without worrying about bumping in to anyone. Not to mention if this went badly he would at least have some cover so no one would know that Tony Stark and Captain America were having a serious quarrel. Not that he cared for his own sake, but he didn't think Steve would react well to headlines like that.

“Afternoon, Cap!” he said, entirely too cheerfully. He winced, wishing he hadn't called at all. His itching hands returned: he was tempted to just drop the phone and make a break for it.

There was silence on the other line for a long moment. Tony's heart raced as he heard rustling that signified someone was at least actually there.

“...Steve,” the voice on the other line corrected solemnly. “How can I help you?”

Tony's mouth went dry. “I wanted to say I'm sorry.”

“...Okay.” Steve said, sounding confused. He was hoarse; he sounded really terrible. “Uhm. Well, fine. It's alright, so...”

“It isn't though, Steve.” Tony added hastily so Steve wouldn't hang up. “It's not alright, nothing I said was okay. I had no right to speak to you that way– and I didn't even mean it. Steve, I know our personalities don't always, ah, mesh well but alphas are hotheaded, you know? Me especially, even I know that. But I didn't mean any of it, Steve, you're one of the best things that's happened to me. If you've found someone else I'll deal with it, I can be civil. You shouldn't have to skip meetings anymore, okay? I'm sorry.” He spoke at about a mile per minute before Steve could get a word in edgewise.

“... What? 'Found' someone else, w-what are y...?” Steve gasped into the phone. The line crackled a little and the fabric sounds didn't slow. “Look, I swear. I-it's really okay, alright? I'll t-talk to you later, I can't–”

“Can't what? Look, don't _say_ it's all okay if it isn't,” Tony prompted. “And it's okay if it isn't okay! We can work on it until it _is_ okay again because I lo–... You, uh, matter. To me.”

“It is, it is! It really is fine. Thank you. For apologizing. I just need to go now, I'm...” His voice was heavy and strange. It sounded almost... like he was in pain?

“Is everything alright?” Tony asked, cutting him off.

“Hwuh? Yeah, I-I–”

“Steve.”

Steve keened. A soft whining noise warbled on the line. Tony was pretty sure his heart literally stopped that time. “Steve?” he stammered.

“I have to go. Sorry.” The solder exclaimed and the line clicked off.

“JARVIS. GPS, now. Trace that call and get me Steve's address ASAP.” He had respected Steve's right to privacy before this, but that was just too strange. It was one of two things, for sure, but he couldn't imagine Steve would have called him back if it was the _one_ option, so it must have meant that he was injured.

“ **Right away, sir** ,” the AI embedded in his phone responded immediately, and seconds later rambled off the address of an apartment building a few blocks away. Tony ran all the way there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt like a really short update... Little bit of filler. Diving into poor Tony's mind a lil' bit. Gettin' peeps where they need to be. All part of the plan!
> 
> It's still Valentine's Day where I live, for a few minutes at least, and I because I love you guys a whole bunch I thought I'd treat you to the next part. As usual comments and kudos are always appreciated, they're very motivating and let me know you like what I'm doin'! I hope you all had a lovely day <3


	4. Chapter 4

Steve managed to fire off a quick text with shaking fingers to Natasha before he hung up and threw the phone across the room. It bounced off the wall and landed amid some boxes he'd left in the corner of the bedroom.

His face was flushed bright red. It had been weeks since he'd heard from Tony. And of course the billionaire/genius would have to call _now._

He had ignored the call to begin with. He probably wouldn't have picked up if he had been sound of mind either, to be honest. But as fate would have it he had been right in the middle of dealing with a wave of his heat when he got the message. A short voicemail that demanded he pick up the phone or else the object of all his shameful fantasies would show up right on his doorstep.

While he was practically wrist deep in himself and pretending it was _him_.

So with little other choice Steve had called back hurriedly to prevent the other man from coming anywhere near him. Not while he was like this. He didn't even have a supply of suppressants anymore, having Tony in his vicinity while he _reeked_ this way sounded like nothing but trouble. So he calls, and then what does Tony do? He _apologized?_ All sweet and earnest with that soft baritone voice, right in Steve's ear. It caused that burning heat in him to writhe and spiral out of control while he was still on the line.

He swore loudly into his pillow as he palmed his erection. How could he have been so careless? Tony might have heard him touching himself to the sound of his voice. The brunet had said his name in that commanding tone and he hadn't been able to keep the noise down. The thought horrified him for a fleeting moment before he pushed that problem to the back of his mind. He could berate himself later. He couldn't focus well enough to quell his voice and jerk his weeping dick the way his body craved at the same time, let alone deal with guilt and embarrassment while he fucked himself on his fingers through copious amounts of slick. The waves just kept coming, each more intense than the last. He was unsatisfied by the lack of a knot, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to go to a sex shop in the middle of broad daylight so he was just going to have to deal with it.

When he came amid his sheets he finally had the clarity of mind for a few minutes to really consider what had happened.

Tony had honestly _apologized_ to him. Where the hell had that come from? Tony had called a few times, but Steve had been afraid to pick up in case the conversation went south again. Had he been trying to apologize this whole time? Still, there had been complete radio silence for at least a week; he had assumed Tony was finally finished trying to reach him.

Natasha insisted over and over again that he should just call Tony, or at least pick up and let him talk just once. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. And since Nat refused to play middle-man, they had no other means of contact. He hated that he was being such a coward, but he couldn't come up with any _good_ reason why Tony would want to say anything more to him. He had thought Tony hated him, for God's sake, and it had _hurt_.

Did this mean Tony didn't hate him after all?

He was so confused. The hormones swimming in his brain really did not make things any easier to process. Another wave of heat was stirring in him.

All he knew for certain was that he had been seconds away from telling Tony to just forget about everything. Moments away from begging him to _please, please_ just come and _take him_ . Anywhere he wanted, on any surface they could find the bare minimum amount of traction on. Thank God he had restrained himself. A month later and he was just as pathetically in love with the other as he had been before this whole mess. Desperate for the other man to notice him, craving his attention, and too embarrassed to ask for what he wanted. Just because Tony might not hate him after all didn't mean he _wanted_ him either.

Did Steve ever want _him,_ though. Steve convulsed violently as the new wave of crippling warmth washed over him. He wanted the alpha to order him around, to dominate him, to bite him, roll him over and love him like no one else could. To make Steve _belong_ to him in every sense of the word, and he wanted Tony to belong to him too.

Steve's eyes get wet as he rolled over onto his stomach and pushed his hips up by the knees, as though submitting. He wrapped his own fist around his cock again and jerked it fast and hard but pretended that hand belonged to the object of all his desires. This truly had to be rock bottom. He was so ashamed, but he couldn't stop until it was over.

**oOo**

Tony's phone rings again.

“Where are you?” the female voice asks him when he picks up. He huffs a deep breath before answering reluctantly.

“Going to Steve's.”

_“Really? Now?_ How do you guys have such horrible timing all the time? _Tony,_ stop.”

“If I'd known this is what I was going to get, I wouldn't have picked up the damn phone,” Tony snapped in reply.

He was just over halfway to Steve's apartment when his phone rang again. He picked it up without thinking about it. He assumed it might be Steve again calling to tell him not to come, or at least to explain what was going on when he called the first time. Instead of his soldier, who he would happily listen to for hours on end talking about _anything_ after not hearing a single word from him for more than a month, he gets Natasha telling him adamantly to go home.

Tony growled into the line. " _No._ I waited, I did what you all told me to. I waited to apologize to him because he didn't want to talk. I tried to respect that. But I have a chance to fix this _now_ and you want me to do what? Wait another month before talking to him again?” His voice rose accusingly. “What's the problem now?”

“Another month exactly would be counter-productive, actually.” Natasha muttered.

Tony was growing increasingly impatient with all of this.

“What exactly does that mean?” Tony snapped. He could see Steve's apartment building on the corner of the street. A crumbling brick building that looked at least half a century old. If she didn't convince him before he got there he was going in. Really he would probably go in either way if he was being honest, but he felt like he should at least give Natasha a chance to explain anyways.

“Look, you remember that me and Steve are keeping secrets?” Tony felt a flicker of annoyance but made a noise to show he was listening. “This is a part of that. You just can't butt in there right now, okay? Not like this. You already apologized, right? So let that settle for a while and meet up with him again later. A few days, at best. He'll call you.”

“ _No_ ,” he found himself replying.

“Excuse me? No, there is no room for 'No' here, Stark, you can't invade his privacy like this. You might make things worse!” Natasha's voice demanded he comply and offered no room for argument. But Tony had never been very good at respecting or adhering to authority.

“Well that is a valuable opinion. I'll take that into consideration right now while I–” He cut himself off by hanging up as he reached the front door of these apartment building. The phone rang again almost immediately, but he sent it to voicemail and turned off the ringer.

He wheezed as he buzzed Steve's apartment and waited. He found himself practically trembling at the prospect of seeing the super soldier again, all perfectly coiffed blond hair and bluest blue eyes that he just knew would turn his insides to jelly as soon as they met his. He tried to suppress the hope that fluttered in his gut at the idea. At the very least getting to be friends after everything was said and done would be good. He would be happy with that, or so he told himself. Even if Steve was with someone else. He repeated this over and over.

It was minutes before Steve answered the buzzer. Minutes that Tony spent wavering between self-doubt and hopelessly unbearable optimism. One second he had himself convinced that Steve wasn't even home. That Steve was out fucking that omega he'd smelled on him before and not in need of him at all. The next second he was convinced Steve would let him upstairs where they'd be awkward and quiet for a moment before they would rush at each other and kiss fervently and that would become _their story._

When Steve eventually did answer the buzz he tried his best to lower his expectations, but the problem was that he was not sure how low he was willing to place them. At the very least, he vowed, he was going to keep his cool this time.

**oOo**

Steve hesitated before he pushed the button that unlocked the front door to his complex and croaked into the speakerphone to tell Tony to come up. After he'd done it the rational side of him instantly regretted the decision and tried to undo it. He clicked the button again and again shouting that he needed Tony wait there a minute so he could stumble back to his room, grab his phone from wherever it landed after bouncing off the wall, and call him to tell him properly that he just couldn't have him come up right now.

It wasn't a good idea, since Tony had been repulsed by his omega scent before and it would be so much stronger now, at the height of his heat without a single suppressant to take. That scent had been what had triggered their fight before. Steve wasn't sure if he could stand it again.

But it was too late. If Tony was still near enough to the speaker to hear Steve calling for him to stop, he made no response. Tony Stark would be in his apartment in a matter of seconds.

Steve stood there staring at the door, waiting for the inevitable. In pants that he pulled over his over-stimulated lower half with immense difficulty. God, this was embarrassing. The pants felt tighter than anything with his painfully hard cock trapped inside their confines, and he hadn't been able to pull a shirt over his skin because it had felt so suffocating. He looked utterly indecent, he realized in complete horror. His room was a horrible mess of clothing strewn about haphazardly around still-packed boxes that he had torn apart in his need to nest.

At least he wouldn't have to figure out what to do with Tony when he got there, this would probably scare him off well enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor naïve Steve. ;)
> 
> This is just a reminder that this IS an 18+ fic, and while we touched on that a little bit today the next part is going to dive right in (finally!). I'm really excited to finally get to the smut, to be honest. There are only 2-3(?) parts left!
> 
> Once again thank you all so, so much for your kind words and kudos! It makes me very happy to know you guys are still on board! I encourage you to keep leaving them, not only here but on any fic you read! They really brighten an author's day :) <3


	5. Chapter 5

As he walked down a dimly lit hallway Tony found himself increasingly upset that Steve had chosen to leave him and come stay in a place like this. It wasn't as though it was disgusting per se, but there were cobwebs in some of the corners and the halls were narrow. Some of the bulbs even flickered, throwing shadows over the stained walls. The old wallpaper peeled over over wide expanses of the surface. He'd driven Steve away from a bedroom filled with beautiful furniture and a private bath that had been purchased with his comfort in mind to live _here_ of all places.

When Tony got into the hallway of Steve's apartment, helpfully informed to him by the faded plaques that barely legibly revealed the room numbers of each of the tenants, he found himself struck by a vaguely familiar scent. Only much more potent now.

The same heat pheromones that had been soaked into Steve's pores a month ago permeated throughout the entire hallway. They hit him like a brick wall. As he approached he realized that it was actually seeping out of Steve's room. His hand hovered over the wood of the door to knock, but he found that itching, trembling feeling had come back and an anger was filling him up. It didn't make any sense. The apartment belonged to Steve, it was his name on the plaque, but Steve wouldn't have called him up here if he had in omega in his bed. Steve wasn't about showing off his prowess to other alphas in that way. His style was much more exclusive and private than the exhibitionist Tony had used to be.

He found himself hovering outside the door, unable to breach the barrier and go inside. The scent was sweet. In its more potent form, it actually made his legs tremble under his own weight. His mouth pooled rapidly with saliva.

His shaking fist dropped from the wood of the door and instead went straight for the doorknob with vehemence. It slammed open much easier than he had expected it to. The force of the impact sent him stumbling forward off balance. The sudden strength of the scent sent his entire being reeling. The unmistakable pheromone of an unmated omega in heat practically crying out to be fucked made him feel hot all over.

Cue slow pan up from the ground.

Bare feet that poked out of blue denim and trailed up long, thick legs to a tented apex and open fly. The jeans slung low on defined hips and revealed a trail of blond hair that melded easily into sweaty abdominals. Next pectorals that heaved with the effort of breathing, collarbones that looked like they were begging to be marked up with teeth and a column of a neck on broad shoulders that looked much the same. The look on Steve's face was by far the cherry on top, though. His pupils were blown so wide that there was only a thin blue ring left around them. His mouth was open as he panted. His hair was mussed– looking like it needed someone to get their hands in it and give it a good _tug_ until his head was tilted so far back that someone could easily nibble at his throat...

“ _You're an omega,_ ” Tony gasped, dizzied by Steve's entire presence, finally putting some of the pieces together. “ _You're in heat._ ”

“U-uhm? Yeah. I am.” Steve agreed. He refused to meet Tony's eyes after a split second of contact, a blush trailing down his throat into his chest. Tony reveled in the perceived submissive attitude. He could already feel sweat forming on his brow.

“ _You don't_ ...” His mouth watered as he tried to form the sentence. The room seemed stiflingly hot. “You don't usually smell like... _that_. This is the same scent as before!” Steve winced at that, but Tony missed the action. “You usually smell like an alpha. Steve w-what the hell, since when have you...?”

“Since _always._ It was the serum that made it different,” Steve grunted shortly as though that explained everything. He elaborated when the look in Tony's eyes didn't leave the impression that he understood. “It gave me alpha traits, I guess, 'cuz of the hormones maybe? I used to be real scrawny, y'know. Looked omega before everythin'.” Steve's vaguely Brooklyn accent seemed to grow heavier as his arousal grew. Tony wanted it in his mouth.

Tony faced a bit of a disconnect as he did his best to process the new information while fighting to keep the growing erection in his pants concealed. Steve had his heat as an excuse, he noted with his eyes lingering to get another chance to see what he was packing, but Tony was supposed to be the rational minded one here. He tried to clear his head but his entire body was shaking, his every instinct demanding he push the other man down and make him _sing_ for him.

Steve hadn't moved from where he stood in the middle of the room, but his eyes were single-mindedly roaming Tony's body from top to bottom over and over again, as if drinking him in.

“I... I'm so sorry, Steve,” Tony murmured.

“You've said that,” Steve pointed out softly. “I know. I forgave you, remember?”

Tony couldn't breathe. He shook his head. He shut the door behind him and stepped rapidly towards Steve. He reached out but stopped just before laying both his hands on Steve's face. Steve visibly trembled with Tony standing so close to him, glancing between each of the raised hands before settling his eyes on Tony's, which stared back warmly. “I was so rude, before... I've never been good at playing nice with others, I guess. I didn't mean a word of it, though. I promise you, sweetheart. It's not an excuse but I smelled omega on you and I thought you were with someone else and that just made me so _crazy_... I thought we were friends, but you started avoiding me. And I didn't know what to do! I was going to–! I'm sorry I said all of that to you.”

Steve's trembling hands closed the remaining gap and rested against Tony's cheeks, thumbs stroking his face gently, eyes all going all soft as they bore endlessly into his.

Without a word, Steve's mouth was on his. Tony hadn't seen the action coming but was quick to recover and moaned wantonly when Steve's tongue licked a stripe over his before he pulled away just as quickly as he had come. Tony couldn't help but follow as Steve pulled away, growling though there was no malice in the sound.

“Sorry,” whispered Steve against his lips. “I know I'm affecting you. I just liked the idea that you were crazy over me.” His short laughter was musical and the momentary smile that came with it was so bright Tony swore he could have been blinded.

“I want you,” Tony told him seriously, forgetting his hesitation to touch as he rested his own hands at Steve's shoulders and trailed them down his arms. He pulled them until they were locked in a tight embrace. “I wanted you long before I even got a taste of you. I wanted you back when we thought the world was ending and every minute after that. I can't believe I kept my hands off you for so long.”

The blond shivered pleasantly under his ministrations. The alpha in Tony preened at making the omega respond positively to him. The skilled hand that landed at the bulge in Steve's jeans elicited a much more amorous reaction from the soldier.

His hips grinded against Tony's fingers and he made the same high-pitched keening noise he'd accidentally made on the phone. “ _Oh._ Oh, please, Tony. That feels so...”

Once again, Tony put two and two together. He couldn't keep the shock out of his voice. “You were touching yourself earlier, weren't you? When you called me back did you have your cock in your hand? Did you jerk off to my voice?”

Steve panted hard but shook his head, trying to focus on Tony's words but with those hands roaming his burning hot body it was no simple task.

“N- _no_ , I didn't... B-before...ah, but _nnn_ -ot _on_ the phone...” Tony backed the soldier against the wall behind him, moving his knee between Steve's legs and grinding harder. He gently pressed his mouth into Steve's throat. He could feel the vibration from Steve's fervent moaning under his lips. He grinned and curled their fingers together.

“What about these, hm? Did you ride your fingers and pretend they were mine?” He kissed two of the digits individually while Steve nodded wordlessly to him, looking ashamed. Not exactly the reaction he was going for, so Tony tried to step away to give Steve room to breathe and to ask what was wrong. Steve recoiled his hand with haste and forcefully wrapped his arms around Tony's shoulders to prevent him from leaving.

“I'm sorry,” he shouted, “please don't go!”

Go? Tony finally _had_ him, pressed against his body and _so hard_ there was no way he would ever leave now. Not for anything. In fact, he thought with venom, there had better be complete silence from everyone on Earth for the next few hours because even if the world ended he was not going anywhere. He stroked Steve's hair and spoke gently. “Steve, please. Hey now, calm down. I'm not going anywhere. Why would I go anywhere _now_?”

“It was wrong, you had no idea I was thinking those things about you. It was dirty. I'm _sorry_ . Called me a dirty _s-slut_ before. Proved you right, didn't I? Made you so _mmm_ -mad before. When you scented me. You were so disgusted by me...” Forming coherent sentences was getting harder. He averted his reddening eyes again when a full-body shiver sent his knees to the ground in front of Tony. He finally spotted the full extent of Tony's hardness from down there and nuzzled his mouth against it before he could think. Tony's mouth hung open for a second but he put a stop to the motion much to Steve's dismay. He felt horrible.

Tony crouched down to Steve's level, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

“This is why I told you not to say it was okay if it wasn't okay!” Tony laughed humorlessly, hushing Steve when he tried to apologize again. “Oh Steve, sweetheart, I thought it was another omega's scent on you. I thought you were an alpha, remember? I thought you had gone and bedded some omega on a mission and I was jealous. It had nothing to do with _you_ .” He ran his hands along the super soldiers sensitive skin soothingly. Steve moaned and shivered at the contact and pushed himself deeper into it. “And for what it's worth, you smell _amazing._ I'm glad you fantasize about me but you don't _have_ to just _fantasize_ about me doing stuff for you. Just ask. I'll do it, sugar. Anything you want.”

He let himself be hugged by Tony in silence for a few minutes. He restrained himself even when he felt himself doused in another bout of stifling heat. He longed for a few moments more of non-sexual contact. Tony murmured various praises and sweet things in his ear, all of which were embarrassing, but Steve found he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

After a while Steve decided that this was too much talking; the heat had grown past unbearable again. He was grateful that Tony was so genuinely concerned with his feelings, he knew that was something sort of new for the playboy. But he didn't want to talk any more. He had all the information he needed now. Tony respected him, Tony wanted him, and he wanted Tony. He needed those hands on him properly or he was going to go insane.

Without saying anything he gently disentangled himself from Tony and scrambled to his feet.

“I'm going to give you a choice,” Steve slurred slowly. He popped the button on his jeans. No underwear lied underneath the fabric. “You can either come to my bed with me or you can go and we'll talk more later. We can figure everything else out after all this is over. I've only got a few days left, and I can handle them. Either will be fine with me, I won't resent your decision.”

“Both. I want the bed and I want the talking. I want both,” rasped Tony without hesitation, “I'm staying.”

“ _Oh thank God,”_ Steve murmured.

He reached for Tony's hand and dragged him along behind him in the direction of his sex-scented bedroom, for fear of toppling over and ending up rutting on the hard floor rather than his warm bed. The bed itself had been nested with blankets and various pieces of clothing since those were the only things he had had on hand.

Steve, finally having gotten the alpha in his bed (by method of shoving him into it as soon as they got close enough to do so) and, lacking the full presence of mind required for shame, dropped his pants to his ankles. He stepped out of them before climbing onto Tony's lap. The alpha pulled him down in a brutal kiss with enthusiasm that cut the corner of his mouth lightly. He laved the wound attentively with his hot tongue. Steve whined and rolled hips to give his cock some friction against Tony's stomach. He tore at the offending fabric barrier that prevented their skin from touching. Tony paid no mind to the clothing, instead opting to hook his arms around Steve's legs and roll his own hips up rhythmically against Steve's.

Tony didn't try to slow the frenzied omega down or try to help with the fumbling attempt at the removal of his clothes. Not wanting his own hands to get in the way, he let Steve touch anything he wanted to and relished in the fact that the omega was so desperate for him. Tony's hands only served to steady the blond, not to interfere.

“I've wanted you for so long, Steve. And now you're all mine, aren't you, sweetheart?”

Steve nodded frantically, crying out when Tony's hand finally circled his dick firmly between them. Precum dribbled from the tip as Tony made long slow strokes that stirred him up inside and made an obscene slick noise. The blond babbled affirmatively; Tony smirked and rewarded him by circling his tip _once, twice_ with the wet pad of his thumb. Steve's back arched violently so that their torsos were pressed tightly together.

Just that simple motion was all it took for Steve to cum for the first time in Tony's presence with his hypersensitive hormone soaked body. His voice was rapturous. He shouted Tony's name as though it were the only thing he could have thought to cry in such a moment, as he unloaded himself against Tony's still-clothed chest. Only three relatively short bursts erupted from him but his body continued to tremble against Tony's lap even after he was done. Tony realized he wouldn't be able to wear his shirt home, but he reallydidn't care. He had almost blown his load right there in his own pants.

Even after cumming Steve was still hard and begging to be kissed, touched, fucked.

“ _H-haahh! Tony, oh Tony..._ ” purred Steve between kisses that he planted all over his partner's face and neck, squirming in his lap. Tony stroked any part of the blonds body he could get his fingers on as he moved against him. Steve did his best to undo the buttons that trailed down his partner's chest but ended up simply snapping them off one by one as he trailed his mouth downwards.

He paused at the arc reactor embedded in his lover's chest, looking up into Tony's deep brown eyes as he pointedly kissed the object and whispered softly, deliriously.

Steve's voice had been so soft, Tony wasn't even sure if he had really heard it at first. It was only when Steve repeated it again, and then again as Tony's hand grounded themselves on his body, that he became a little more sure. The gravity of those words and the response they stirred in his chest frightened him, but he didn't feel like running or pushing away for once.

“Tell me again?” Tony asked, stroking Steve's hair away from his eyes.

“I love you,” Steve said again, louder. Without hesitation. “ _I love you, love you so much._ ”

His heart leapt. Tony realized with a small sense of pride that he couldn't even feel his usual self-sabotaging panic. As Steve murmured more ardent words against his torso he really just felt glowing warmth that radiated all the way to his fingertips. Was he blushing? He wasn't sure. Steve was though, his cheeks were a pretty pink that contrasted nicely against his dark red lips.

Tony forgot all about feeling remotely frightened at all when the blond had skimmed his mouth lower down. His words turned to primal vocalization of his _want_ as though he were utterly desperate and dying for a taste, all without breaking eye contact. His mind was flooded with desire at the waves of heat-scent that poured out of Steve's pores and intoxicated him.

“I think this might be the longest you've actually looked me in the eyes,” Tony teased him softly, stroking Steve's hair. He carefully began grooming him. He eased out the little knots that came from rolling around in bed sheets for days with gentle fingers.

Steve moaned softly, rolling out of Tony's lap and onto his back. He bent his legs at the knee to bare himself wholly to Tony, who growled affectionately at the submitting omega. He lunged forward and kissed his partner hard, but he also sensed Steve's endgame so he pulled away quickly and stroked Steve's cock languidly as he drew back. Tony refused to be drawn in to the temptation to press him down and fuck Steve right there. He wasn't finished with his teasing yet.

Steve whined and bucked his hips, but wasn't satisfied with the contact. He tried again, rolling over and trying that angle. Tony touched him again, skimming the skin of his back and the curve of his spine with the tips of his fingers, but refused to delve any deeper. Steve keened loudly before seemingly giving up and sitting in Tony's space again. He pressed his mouth aggressively against the brunets while he slowly shuffled from the centre of the bed.

Steve drew Tony back to the edge and settled on the ground between his knees. He forcefully kneaded both of Tony's hands into his scalp, urging the brunet to drag him in closer, while mouthing at his cock through his pants again. Tony couldn't even feel anything yet but the sight of the blond looking so utterly debauched below him as he begged for his dick was unbelievable. He couldn't believe that they had gotten here. That Steve loved him, wanted him. That the supposedly virginal American icon was about to wrap those pretty kiss-reddened lips around him and use him mouth to...

His brain short circuited. Steve was dragging his hands down the 'V' of his pelvis towards his inner thighs. Steve undid the button with minor difficulty and yanked the offending article of clothing down to his knees to allow him uninterrupted access.

Steve breathed out sharply. The outline of Tony's cock was clearly visible in his underwear without the more restrictive fabric in the way. Steve almost wanted to forgo the fellatio he had been planning on performing in favour of pinning him, climbing over him, and fucking himself wide open on that knot without further ado.

Tony was so hard he ached. Steve felt inordinately proud that he had pleased his alpha so far; he kissed the practically purple head, eyelids fluttering at the sound Tony made. He wanted to please Tony more. He wanted Tony to feel as good as he did, he wanted him to feel so good that he came down his throat before he could give any warning that he was going to cum. He wanted Tony pet his head again while praising him for what a good boy he'd been.

He wanted Tony to be so pleased with him that he told him he loved him again and again. He wanted everything to be real when his heat was over and they went back to their 'regular' lives.

Steve flushed bright red when Tony's fingers curled through his hair again, but was confused when the other pulled him away and was tilting his face upwards. He stared up at Tony with wide eyes.

“You don't have to do that,” Tony told him gently, albeit with a shaking voice. He carded those hands through Steve's messy hair, smoothing it where it stuck up. “I'll do it for you. Or I could jerk you off, if you want. I'm not the one in heat here, sweetheart, I want to focus on you.”

Tony used a tone that Steve found unfamiliar in the sense that it had never been directed at him before. He had heard Tony use that voice only in rare occasions when he offered comfort; most commonly it had been directed towards Pepper, in recent memory. It was surprisingly sweet considering how lewd the actual context of the conversation was, but that was just Tony for you.

“I _want_ to... do it for you, I've already... a-and you...” the stammering was frustrating but he couldn't help himself. Tony cut him off.

“We're not keeping score. You don't owe me an orgasm just because I gave you one, that's not how this is going to work between us. We don't have to do it all tonight, Steve, I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to. So we've got plenty of time. Look, come up here.”

Tony kicked off the rest of his pants and his underwear in turn. The omega flushed harder at the revelation of his cock. It was thicker than he had expected but still aesthetically very appealing. He could barely support himself on his own legs they were shaking so badly as Tony drew him upwards and back on to the bed. He found himself pinned on his back with the slightly smaller man hovering just above him but still within his grasp. The alpha instincts stirred and told him to roll Tony underneath him, but he focused on submitting like the omega in him wanted.

Tony kissed him breathless while fondling every expanse of skin he could get his hands on. Steve's hands fumbled for purchase. The sound of their combined labored breathing filled the room along with the occasional gasping moan. Tony thrust against Steve, but still refused to enter much to the soldier's frustration. He could barely pay any mind to the extensive marks he was leaving along Tony's back with Tony's mouth all over his clavicle and throat leaving marks that would surely be bruises come morning.

Steve could hear himself begging but his head was too foggy to really make sense of what he was actually saying. It was certainly his voice, but it seemed as though it were somewhere distant. He spoke louder until his throat felt raw from shouting but he could still only just hear himself. And Tony wasn't doing what he wanted him to, what he was demanding him to, so he assumed he just wasn't being loud enough.

All he knew was Tony's smirk was practically predatory but his eyes were filled with a distinct emotion that made the heat inside him coil tighter and burn brighter. Tony's hands touched him in unbelievable, beautiful, _sinful_ ways that set fire to his skin. When his fingers finally, _finally_ stroked along his previously abused hole he saw white. Tony's fingers slid in with little resistance through his slick, which practically soaked his inner thighs _._

“ _Tsk._ Oh, Steve. What have you done?” said Tony quietly, mostly to himself. Steve hissed as Tony stroked him, though Tony wouldn't have been surprised if it had been more in pain rather than pleasure. Steve had evidently been quite aggressive with himself earlier, probably a lot over the last few days considering the swelling redness of his hole. Still, Steve showed no other symptoms of pain. He cried out as Tony continued to thrust his fingers, apparently too slowly for his liking if the increasingly frantic movement of his hips was any indication.

The ill-formed words Steve heard himself babbling stopped and gave way to nothing more than primal sound as he fucked himself on Tony's fingers. Tony, concerned about doing more damage, withdrew. Steve squealed when Tony's hand slipped away from his hole but the sound was smothered by the second tongue in his mouth. He moaned and convulsed when Tony rolled him on his side and pressed himself against his back.

Tony's slicked cock slipped between his partner's wet thighs instead. His hand gripped both their cocks together and stroked rapidly, the combined feeling of Tony thrusting against him and dragging his cock along the lines of his body was very effective in stealing his bed mate's breath straight from his lungs.

“You're so beautiful. Did you know that?” Tony murmured against the skin just behind his ear. His warm breath sent a shock wave cascading down Steve's spine.

Steve whined and tried to turn back around. The movement caused Tony's cock to slip along the length of his own again. He lost presence of mind for a moment before he gasped a ragged “ _No._ ”

“ _No_ ? But you are. So gorgeous, baby. _Oh, God, yes_. Steve just look at you!”cooed Tony. His free hand seized Steve's hip in a bruising grip that contrasted the sweet tone he spoke with. He kept the blond's legs tightly shut around him and preventing him from squirming any more.

“No!” Steve's arm stretched out behind him and landed on Tony's behind, pushing as hard as he could from the awkward angle. “ _No, no! Not there. Inside p-please!_ Give me _more!_ ”

Tony chuckled softly, thrusting harder between Steve's slippery thighs until the blond could do little more than cry out in frustration at the friction. “No, not yet, sweetheart. _Shh._ Trust me, there will be plenty of time for that, I _promise_.”

They continued in this fashion for a short while longer. Tony came first, shouting as he released, but the blond didn't take long to follow when Tony's hand didn't stop its brutally fast stroking motions around the two of them.

Tony Stark in the midst of an orgasm was certainly an enigmatic sight to behold– the way he _moaned_ right into Steve's ear, the way he grinded _hard_ into his thighs to milk the sensation for all it was worth, the way he experienced a full-body spasm or the way his eyes clenched shut and fumbled for Steve's hand to grip it tight while he rode out the feeling– truly the epitome of sex. Steve couldn't say he was really sure which part was his favourite.

When he finally let go and tipped over the edge with Tony still fucking his thighs, Steve marveled at the intensity of an orgasm experienced with another person.

**oOo**

It was essentially another three days before either one of them stopped being overwhelmed by the impact of the other and fully came back to their senses.

Tony had borrowed a clean set of the Cap's clothes and left only once on the second day to restock the food in the fridge and provide for his omega despite Steve's adamant protests and attempts to keep him in bed. When he came back he found Steve knuckle-deep in himself with his nose buried in the torn, cum-splattered, unwearable shirt that Tony had left lying on the floor. He had tried to remove the scrap of fabric from Steve's face, but the former soldier _actually_ growled at him. It appeared to have become an integral part of the bed/nest he had built by that point. That had been the end of leaving Steve's side for the remainder of his heat.

After those three days of fervent love-making Tony woke up to a moderately muted smell of Steve's heat, finally overpowered by the heady smell of sex in the air.

Steve was still sleeping. He had curled into Tony's side on top of his arm, looking positively fucked out. The latter thought about retracting his arm, as it had been in that position for quite some time judging by the cramp that was stirring in the muscle. But he decided he didn't want to run the risk of waking the other up. Instead he opted to try to slide in closer and just curl the arm around tighter in a different position. He tried not to jostle Steve but evidently he ultimately failed as those gorgeous blue eyes blinked open slowly.

“Good morning,” murmured Tony.

Steve blinked owlishly at him and replied with a sleepy “G'morning.”

The blond propped himself up on his elbow and reached his other hand out to touch Tony's mussed hair. His palm skated downwards to caress Tony's temple, then his cheek. He grazed around his marked up throat, and stroked up again to end with a thumb pressed to the brunet's bruised mouth. Tony nuzzled into the touch and nibbled on the thumb when it pressed just past his lip, but his eyes never stopped searching Steve's.

“You're in my bed,” Steve explained, answering a question Tony wouldn't ask.

“I am.”

“I... didn't see this coming.” he continued. Tony nodded mutely.

Silence hung between them for a few moments.

“You said you loved me,” Tony reminded him, mildly horrified by his tone. He didn't want to sound accusatory. He didn't want to pressure Steve into anything just because he'd needed relief and Tony had showed up practically delivering himself on a silver platter, but he _wanted Steve_. He wanted everything. He was not sure that he could go back to normal now even if that was what Steve wanted. Not now that he'd had a taste of what it might feel like to be _loved_ by him. He needed to know if he had to squash those feelings now– if this was going to be the last of anything that happened between them. Because if he let himself go on believing for too long he thought it might kill him. But Steve's hand was warm and still touching his lips insistently, gently, like a promise.

“I did,” Steve's mouth curled into a slow intoxicating grin that made Tony's insides quiver hopefully. “And I meant it. I love you, Tony Stark.”

Tony pushed Steve over by his shoulder and hovered over him again, planting busy, biting kisses along Steve's bare collar bones, murmuring quiet thanks and laughing softly to himself. He had almost forgotten that they were both naked as the day they were born and wrapped up in each other until he felt Steve sporting a semi against his thigh– this time completely by its own volition under his ministrations, without the influence of heat addling his brain. He was so relieved. Steve wanted him. Steve loved him. Steve, _Steve,_ _**Steve** _...

“Me too,” Tony's voice was muffled by the fact that he was doing his best to mark up every inch of flesh on Steve's body. “I love you too, sweetcheeks.”

Steve laughed sharply at that, annoyed by the nickname but pleased beyond measure that Tony was smiling with him, laughing with him, loving him. It had been a very long month when he thought the other had hated him. “You've really got a thing for the pet names, huh? I remember there being quite a few over the last few days.”

Tony shrugged, “I don't know what you're talking about, babycakes.” Steve wrinkled his nose at that and flushed red, pulling away from Tony as though he were thoroughly embarrassed. Tony caught him by the elbow and rolled the super soldier back over so he was pinned under Tony between his thighs. Tony spread his open palm on the left side Steve's bare chest, feigning contemplative nonchalance but was secretly pleased to be able to feel the steady thrum of Steve's heart.

“Oh, not a fan of that one? That's alright, I've got a million, love-muffin.” He jabbed his fingers into Steve's side so the blond would shout and laugh. “Oho, we like 'love-muffin', do we? Duly noted.” Steve squirmed against Tony as the former chuckled.

Tony quickly found himself on his back underneath the Captain. Those sparkling blue eyes were regarding him with playful amusement and an emotion he had never thought he'd get to see directed to himself. An unadulterated, warm love that seemed to burst from the blonde in an unrestrained fashion he hadn't quite believed in. Steve bit his earlobe gently, and Tony found himself laughing loudly when Steve promised to teach him a lesson about _ruining_ _moments_.

Speaking of ruined moments, Tony realized they had been off the grid for four days. No one had seen nor heard word from either of them. Since Natasha had apparently known about Steve's special circumstances she had most likely warned everyone to stay away for some time.

He told Steve to get a shower running, a hot one because they were going to have a lot to clean and the blond was bound to be sore.

He watched appreciatively until Steve disappeared around the corner before he grabbed his phone off the floor. A collective of _43 Missed Calls_ and _16 New Text Messages_ waited for him when he turned his personal device back on. Granted they were not all from the Avengers group but a fair number of them were. He wondered if Steve's phone looked the same.

“JARVIS, send a group message to all members of the contact subdivision ' _Friends_ ' containing the following: Mission accomplished. Steve will be home soon.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so embarrassed ahh.
> 
> ALRIGHT SO THAT WAS A THING. It used to be two chapters long, but I decided eh, why not. Fuck it, we'll do it live. However, fear not! We're not done yet. I've got one more chapter to throw at you guys! Let's just say if you were disappointed by top!Tony, uhh... stick around. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated, if you feel so inclined to leave them! See you soon for the final installment :)


	6. Chapter 6

_After_ the shower they had gotten dressed and sat down for the rest of the conversation they both knew needed to happen between them. It had been a long time coming, to say the least. Tony could read the blatant relief on Steve's face as they sorted out everything that had hung between them for so long. If they were going to start a relationship Steve insisted that they were going to give themselves a fair chance and start things off healthily. After the heavy conversation was over with, Tony shifted gears to lighten the mood by flirting wholeheartedly with his boyfriend, an exclusive label they had agreed upon.

Despite everything, despite all of the mutual feelings they confirmed and all of the issues they sorted out, Steve was still hesitant to move back into the Stark Tower. When Tony suggested they throw a load of laundry in and go for a quickie on top of the machine to save some time before they pack Steve had admonished him.

“I'm all for doing some laundry,” Steve chuckled, throwing a few articles in to one of the few empty boxes he had unpacked and then stripping the sheets off his bed. “But I really don't think it's a good idea to move in together again, alright? At least not right away. I don't want to be a burden on you or anythin'. I'll visit there and you can come here whenever you want, but maybe we should take it slower for now.”

He thought that for at least a while they should try to be happy with each other in separate domestic spheres. For Steve, in the time that he came from cohabitation was something that people only did when they had been dating for quite some time, when they intended to marry each other and start their families. It seemed like they would be skipping a very significant step if he moved back in right away, especially since they were official now. However Tony saw no reason for Steve to stay in a run-down apartment and told him so. Steve kissed him softly, but insisted.

Unfortunately, so did Tony. He snorted. Steve glanced at him, but said no more.

“Oh, you mean you're serious?” he asked incredulously. “Stevie, honey, we can slow things down if you want to, but you really don't have to stay _here_. All your furniture is back at mine, and not all of it is going to fit in this little place.”

“I don't need all of that–” Steve argued, but Tony cut him off.

“Well of course I know you don't _need_ it, but it's yours. I bought it for you. Call it a gift. Call the _whole room_ a gift. You know it's very rude not to graciously accept a gift, don't you Steve?”

Steve picked up the box full of clothing and linens with ease and balanced it on his hip as he shuffled his weight around on either foot. So it _had_ been Tony who had purchased those expensive looking oak sets... But he wasn't sure he could just move back in. Everyone was bound to know what had happened between them, and if they didn't they would as soon as he walked in. His collarbones were marked up with love bites and he was fairly certain that even if he managed to hide those their friends would be able to smell Tony on him from a mile away regardless.

_"Fine then,_  I accept. Thank you. But I'll be keeping this place too.” He turned away quickly and did a once over of the room for anymore clothing.

Since his clothes were effectively ruined, Steve had lent Tony another set of his clothes to wear until he could get home and get something that actually fit him. He didn't measure up to Steve in several ways, so his clothes were just big enough on Tony to be really cute. Sleeves extended just past his wrists and hung a little on his shoulders, so he rolled them tight to his elbows.

Steve found and scooped both the pants and torn shirt his boyfriend had been wearing into the basket without saying anything to the other man. Steve fully intended to wash the pants and return them, but he wanted to keep the stupid shirt. It wasn't as though Tony didn't have a million white button down shirts, anyways. It was going straight into his drawer but it couldn't do that if it was still covered in cum. That was just unsanitary.

Tony followed him around the little apartment, talking loudly, complaining. “You know, you're doing it again. Yes, _that._ Please don't start with that again.” Steve paused and looked at him, perplexed. Tony made a pleased sound and kissed him chastely when their gazes met. “That thing where you won't look me in the eyes– that thing where you avoid me. It'd be great if we didn't do that.”

“Sorry,” Steve replied quickly. “It's just... embarrassing. It's new, I mean. I've never done... Any of that with anyone else before. Just, u-uhm, alone. So the 'day after' sensation is a little weird. I'll get over it, sorry. I just need a little time.”

“Time? Sweetheart, we have all the time in the world. Now, swallow a little of that embarrassment and lead me to this laundry room. Let's get this done so I can take you home.” He shushed Steve with a finger to his lips when he tried to protest. “You can keep this place if you want to, but mine is the one you're gonna call home, alright? We'll talk about you taking up permanent residence again later. Now, laundry remember? Hot sex on a big vibrating platform. Let's have at it, yeah?”

Steve laughed as Tony held the door open for him to pass through with the big box of clothing. “We're not having sex down there, Tony. _Any_ one could walk in on us at any time. I'm still trying to make friends with the neighbours and I don't think the last few days really helped on that frontier.”

The blush that coloured Steve's cheeks was precious. He moved briskly down the hallway so Tony had to jog a little to keep up with him.

Tony grinned lecherously. “Of course, kitten. Isn't that half the fun? Have a little sense of adventure, _carpe diem_ a little.”

The look on Steve's face made him laugh out loud again. He wanted to take Steve's hand but the box prevented him from getting a hold of it without running the risk of tipping the contents out in the middle of the hallway, an act he didn't think the blonde would be pleased about.

“You're unbelievable. Incorrigible. Insatiable.” The Captain chuckled.

Tony winked, “And I'm all yours, now.”

When they arrived in the laundry room, a small room with three machines that lined the wall and two dryers that sat opposite them, Tony couldn't really make himself useful because he had never actually had to do a load of laundry in his life. He lifted himself up to sit on a vacant machine while Steve separated the colours from the whites and dropped the items into the water, making light conversation as he did so.

He noticed Tony's gaze lingering on his hands as he worked for a few minutes before he spoke up. “What, never seen a guy do laundry before?”

“No,” Tony answered honestly, meeting Steve's baby blues. “Never really seen anyone do laundry, to be honest. Wasn't a thing I usually had to worry about, stuff to wear would just kind of show up. Didn't even have to buy it most of the time.”

Steve hummed, turning back to the task at hand. They really were from different worlds. “That sounds terrible, to be honest.”

“That's... an unusual response,” laughed Tony.

“Sure, it'd be nice for a while, maybe,” Steve shrugged. “But I feel like that kind of thing sort of... lacks control. Feels empty. You seem like a guy who likes to be in control of everything. I get that, you know. I am too. I mean, look what I did to myself just to be in control.”

He gestured widely to himself. Tony nodded, listening with rapt attention. Steve cleared his throat and moved on.

“Washing machines like this weren't really a thing when I was growing up, anyways. First automatic I ever saw was an ol' Bendix. Before the war, 'round '37 I think? But I never actually used one 'til I'd been doing the Captain America thing for a while, either. They were a pretty penny when they first hit the market and a lot of people were pretty hard-up before the war. Before that we just did it by hand and hung them on a line between the buildings. A bachelor had to do be able to do things for him...” Steve paused and then faltered. “...self. Oh, geez, sorry. That was kind of rude, huh? I'm not judging you or anythin'.”

He looked up at Tony apologetically, but Tony's lips curved into a little smile. His eyes were warm and soft. “Nah. Pretty much sums it up, actually. Anyways I'm kind of a fan of the idea of you in your 'skivvies' waiting around for the suit to clean up.”

Steve chuckled. He'd had more than one suit, so waiting around in his underwear wasn't really a thing that happened. But he decided not to ruin it for the other man.

The thick tension that had lied between them for so long seemed to be entirely forgotten in the moment of quiet that followed. It was wonderful to finally feel so comfortable in Tony's immense presence.

He poured the soap flakes in and shut the lid before Tony had him gently by the collar of his white tee and was dragging him towards him for another kiss. It actually had started out rather chaste but Steve pressed in further, cradling the back of Tony's head in his large hands. Tony moaned into his mouth; he swallowed the noise.

“Why, Steven!” Tony murmured between insistent kisses, “If I didn't know any better I'd think you were warming up to the idea of _debauching_ the laundry room? Have I truly corrupted you so soon?”

Steve smiled but was too preoccupied to respond, too busy trying to open the fly on the jeans he'd lent to the slightly smaller man. Tony bucked his hips against Steve's hands, making the task an unecessarily difficult one to complete.

“Why do I even own these pants, they're terrible,” he growled against Tony's mouth in frustration before he finally got them unbuttoned. He ceased his ministrations, much to the dismay of his partner, in order to turn the dial on the machine and have the ancient thing shudder and sputter to life. He ignored the grabby-hands Tony made in his direction to go at least _close_ the door. It was a public space so it didn't have a lock, but he hoped that the closing of a door that was usually open would encourage people to at least knock before entering.

Tony, with his stunning lack of patience, slid himself off the vacant washer and opted to try to get Steve to continue by pressing flush against his back and rutting against him. Steve whirled on him and lifted the shorter man up by his waist; Tony responded immediately by wrapping his legs around Steve's hips to allow the other to direct him wherever he wanted.

“I'm flexible,” Tony gasped. Steve ceased peppering his throat with kisses and raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, I'm versatile. Well, I'm flexible, too. But what I'm trying to say is I want to bottom. I'll bottom if you want to top.”

Steve almost dropped him. The alpha hormones in him stirred with interest, the thought of dominating the other alpha made him deliriously excited.

“You sure?” he asked.

Tony nodded fervently in confirmation as Steve pressed their groins together, laying his palm flat against Tony's ass to support the bulk of his weight and grinding their erections firmly.

“I've never been more sure,” he insisted. He couldn't suppress the moan that burst forth from him when Steve dropped him on the still-vibrating washing machine. The vibration shook him pleasantly, a steady thrum reverberated through his whole body. Steve spread his legs wide enough to put himself between them and palmed at Tony's cock while their tongues stroked each other.

Tony's eyes had drifted closed as his brow scrunched in bliss. He practically turned to mush in Steve's hands.

Steve pushed Tony's pants down his hips and pulled them off in one fluid motion. He had wanted to leave them at his thighs for the sake of having them readily available to pull up quickly should the need arise but they restricted his range of motion too much. He also noted that the brunet had opted _not_ to wear the boxers he had left out for him. He fought the swelling embarrassment that grew in his chest over the fact that he had been so easily persuaded to engage in public sexual activity as he slid his own pants down to just around the middle of his thighs; just enough to ease his aching erection out without dropping his drawers. As soon as it was out Tony's hand was on him, stroking firmly to keep him hard and ready. Steve did the same as he surveyed the area.

“Did you think to grab lube?” Steve asked him, looking for a substitute.

“No,” gasped Tony after a pause. The violently shaking machine underneath him and the hand on his dick were serving as very effective distractions.

Steve stared at him, exasperated. He had been the one who wanted to come down here and get fucked in the first place and he hadn't put a thought in to preparation? Steve stopped his hand. Tony cried out indignantly and thrust his hips in an attempt to facilitate his own friction.

“I'm going to need lube if I'm gonna fuck ya.” Steve's voice was husky in his ear, causing a full-body tremor to shiver through him.

Tony snapped at him. He found himself demanding Steve just go in dry, demanding he _move that_ _fucking hand_ and _don't he dare stop now!_ But the blond only chuckled and removed the hand that encircled him entirely in favour of gripping his partner by the chin.

“I'm gonna fuck you raw, believe me I will. But I don't wanna _really_ hurt ya.” Tony practically whimpered into his mouth at that tone when Steve kissed him again, nibbling at his lips gently.

Blue eyes stared into him with a burning heat that Tony thought might actually set him on fire if he looked into it any longer, so he broke the connection and frantically looked around for something they could use.

His hips stuttered against the machine as he shuffled for the stimulation as Steve started to tortuously roll his hips again. Before long he took the hand Steve still rested under his chin and put the fingers in his mouth. He slurped obscenely, coating each finger with saliva, before removing the digits and looking back up at Steve hopefully. Steve watched him in wonder for another heartbeat or two, before spitting in that same palm and wrapping it around Tony again.

“What a good boy you are, thinking on your toes,” Steve encouraged, stroking mercilessly as Tony cried out again. “But saliva isn't very good lube.” Tony's voice filled the room, sounding like sweet music to Steve, but he kissed him again to muffle the sound. This wasn't exactly the place for noise, even if he really wanted to hear it. “Lucky for you, though, it looks like someone left some hand lotion. Not exactly preferable, but we'll have to make do, won't we?”

Tony felt Steve lean to reach past his head for something, but couldn't open his eyes to observe any longer. He just nodded to whatever Steve said. He felt over-stimulated and hyper-aware of every movement, the sensations overrode his need to see. As Steve continued to murmur filthy things in his ear Tony wondered where the hell this _supposed_ virgin had gotten so good at talking dirty.

He didn't see when Steve pumped a generous amount of lotion into his palm, he didn't see Steve smooth the substance around three of his fingers, but he certainly felt it when Steve tilted him back against the rocking machine and eased the first one around and then s l o w l y into him. His eyes flew open to blindness for a few seconds before he could make out Steve's face smiling down at him and hushing him gently.

When he had said he was versatile he had meant it. He was certainly open to the idea of being done by the super soldier, but he had neglected to mentioned that he had never actually _been_ penetrated by another actual person this way. His experience rested with a roughly 6” piece of plastic that he had bought ages ago _embarrassingly enough_ because it had been on a brazen display in a sex shop window and was the colour of Steve's eyes. He had tried to convince himself that was romantic somehow, but he was pretty sure it was just fucking weird so he didn't say anything about it.

Still, even that experience hadn't been enough to prepare him for what is was actually like to have someone who cares about you leaning over you and gently stretching you open. He could feel a slight shakiness in Steve's hands, he presumed from the effort of going slow when his instincts told him to _take_. He could feel the heat from Steve's skin as he blushed over the fact that his fingers were inside Tony and probably from fantasies of actually easing himself inside. He could feel the ache starting in his thighs as he stretched them as wide as he could to accommodate the presence between them, something he hadn't really needed to consider alone. All of these differences stirred nerves in him, but he was pretty sure this feeling was still part of the happiest he had ever been.

Steve eased the next two fingers in one by one, stretching and gauging Tony's reactions to determine whether or not they were ready. He told Tony how silky he was inside, how much he wanted to be inside him, how beautiful he looked. He wasn't even sure if Tony was actually listening to or comprehending a word he said, but he couldn't help himself. He eventually asked Tony if he thought he was ready, and the brunet sobbed an affirmative response.

The blond eased Tony down off the washing machine. He promptly fell forward limply against his shoulders, his thighs shaking noticeably with arousal. Steve kissed him gently, but shortly as he turned him around and pressed his front into the vibration of the machine. Tony found himself surprised by the action and wasn't able to stop the hoarse shout that leapt from his throat. He saw Steve's hands reach past him one more time and take one more pump of the unscented lotion, before the hands that held him up returned his hips and he was finally impaled on Steve's thick cock.

_"Oh,_ Steve, _fuck yes! Fuck, fuck, you feel...!_ ” Tony stopped trying to control the volume of his voice. He could hear Steve shushing him over his shoulder but he couldn't have cared less.

Once fully seated, Steve leaned forward to press the length of his body into the expanse of Tony's back, not only pushing his dick more tightly into the washing machine but also drowning Tony in the full effect of his scent. Something spicier than that rustic sweetness of his heat-scent, but still entirely Steve. Steve's arms moved upwards and around him, one coming to rest so his palm lay open handed against the arc reactor in Tony's chest, and the other stretching up to press over his mouth to muffle the noise.

“You feel amazing, Tony, oh my _God."_  Steve gasped. “I can't believe it took so long for us to start this.” His hips began alternate jack-hammering rapidly and rolling slowly with genuine care that helped to ease the dull pain Tony felt. They worked together to set a steady rhythm that worked well for both him and Steve.

It wasn't long before Steve located his prostate and pounded against it. He swapped angles occasionally to keep his partner guessing. Tony was crying out for release before long from behind Steve's hand, whose fingers had pressed into his mouth just a little to stifle him.

“Not yet, Tony. Jus' hold on an' it's gonna be so _good_ when ya finally let go,” the vaguely Brooklyn accent growing heady.

Tony whined around those long fingers, legs scrambling for that perfect angle. Steve's hand dragged down his chest and looped around his leg to hold him at the opportune position for hammering soundly on his prostate. Tony practically screamed. Steve's fingers tasted vaguely of the hand lotion but he couldn't stop himself from laving them with his tongue anyways.

The machine rattled to a stop and produced a shrill _beep!_ to signal that the load was washed. As soon as it stopped Steve's hand dropped from his mouth and caught his weeping cock, tugging it with renewed vigour.

“Time's up,” he rasped into Tony's ear, taking a commanding tone. “Cum.”

That was that. The multiple forms of stimulation had brought him right to the edge, and Steve's permission had tipped him right over his plateau. Tony cursed loudly as he unloaded himself against the front of the machine. His body engaged in a wholehearted spasm that subsequently caused Steve's orgasm. Steve pulled out quickly, wrapping his arms around Tony's middle and clinging desperately as he spilled mostly between Tony's legs or onto the machine as his partner had.

They stood like that for a couple moments, enjoying the post-orgasm afterglow, exchanging sweet words, and kissing tenderly before they remembered their situation. Though reluctantly, they separated and respectively tucked themselves back into their pants. It was a wonder no one had come down to investigate the noise, but they were best off not pushing their luck and hurried to get rid of the evidence.

“Grab the bleach there and use one of the whites to wipe off the, uh, mess? I'll move these to the dryer.” Steve pointed the bottle he meant out to Tony and moved across the room to throw the wet clothing into the other machine. Tony looked dazed but complied. He grabbed the first shirt off the top and went to soak it with the liquid, before noticing what he was holding.

Tony snorted. “Is this mine?” He held the shirt open for Steve to look at, the missing buttons and wrinkles in the shapes of fists indicative of the answer.

Steve flushed dark red and turned away. “Yeah, I sorta wanted it. Sorry–” He paused before looking back at Tony, meeting his eyes head on despite his embarrassment. “Actually, you know what, I'm not sorry. I want it, so I'm going to go ahead and keep that one. Hurry up and put it in the wash or it'll stain and I'll never get it clean.”

“Bossy,” Tony laughed, throwing the even-dirtier shirt into the machine and continuing with the others the same way Steve had done with the coloured clothing before, endlessly pleased with the confidence that seemed to be returning to Steve in terms of things pertaining to the two of them.

“Mhm,” hummed Steve. “You like it, though.”

Tony said nothing, but turned and winked at his partner.

Steve chuckled. “Enough, hurry up. I want to grab _another_ shower, and then we're going home.”

A hesitant knock sounded on the door.

Tony bit back the pleased reply he was going to offer for Steve calling the tower home as he had requested, turning back to the task at hand instead. Neither of them replied but the door opened a second later. A handsome middle-aged blonde woman stepped in with a basket of her own laundry in her arms, leaving the door wide open behind her.

“Oh! Good morning, Steve,” she smiled.

Steve nodded with a polite smile in return and a soft, “Good morning, ma'am.”

He exchanged a relieved look with Tony, who smiled back knowingly. He whistled a hearty tune before mumbling a soft, “Yes, it most certainly is.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, folks! You guys have been amazing and super sweet throughout this whole process, and I'm super thankful. I'm posting a little earlier than planned but this week's going to be busy so I just wanted to make sure I finished up as promised. 
> 
> If you wanna, hmu on tumblr! I don't tend to post writing there but if you want to leave me prompts and stuff I'd love to garner ideas from them? Idk. It's all cool. Thanks again for all your support and kindess!!! Hopefully I'll be back with something new soon <3


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